The Fortitude Chronicle: A Weekly Digest of Athletic Determination

Monday Momentum

For the Relentless Mind

Why Being Beats Doing

A mentor once asked me a question that rewired my understanding of motivation: "Are you writing because you want to be seen as a writer, or because you can't not write?" The distinction seemed subtle until I realized it explained everything—why some achievements feel hollow while others feel inevitable, why external validation sometimes satisfies and sometimes leaves you emptier than before.

The difference between "to be" and "to do" isn't semantic—it's the gap between sustainable fulfillment and perpetual hunger.

Most of us operate in "doing" mode without realizing it. We exercise to get compliments on our physique. We work hard to earn recognition. We help others to feel good about ourselves. Every action becomes a transaction—effort in exchange for some external reward.

This isn't inherently wrong, but it creates what is called "contingent self-worth"—your value depends on outcomes you can't fully control. When the rewards don't come, or when they arrive but feel insufficient, you're left questioning not just your strategy but your worth.

Dopamine—the molecule of motivation—spikes highest in anticipation of rewards, not in receiving them. When your actions are reward-dependent, you become addicted to the chase rather than satisfied by the catch. Each achievement raises the bar for the next one, creating an endless cycle of striving without arriving.

"To be" operates from a fundamentally different engine. You don't act to become something—you act because of what you already are. The writer writes because they are a writer, not to become one. The leader leads because it's their nature, not to gain authority. The servant serves because service flows from their identity, not to earn gratitude.

This shift creates what Viktor Frankl called "self-transcendence"—when your actions arise from your core identity rather than external motivations. You're no longer performing for an audience; you're expressing your essence.

The paradox: When you stop acting to get something, you often get more than you ever imagined. But by then, the getting isn't the point.

When your actions flow from identity rather than ambition, something profound happens: complete alignment. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors point in the same direction. There's no internal friction, no sense that you're playing a role or chasing something outside yourself.

Fulfillment isn't about achieving more—it's about aligning more completely. When your actions emerge from your authentic self, every step feels like coming home rather than traveling to a destination.

Research from Self-Determination Theory shows that intrinsic motivation—doing something because it aligns with your values and identity—produces higher performance, greater persistence, and deeper satisfaction than extrinsic motivation.

The formula: Identity + Action + Alignment = Fulfillment

The shift from doing to being requires a fundamental reframe:

Doing asks: "What can I accomplish?"
Being asks: "Who am I, and how does that show up?"

Doing measures: External metrics, others' opinions, comparative achievements
Being measures: Internal consistency, authentic expression, value alignment

Most people have never asked themselves who they actually are beneath the roles they play and rewards they chase. This isn't about personality tests or finding your passion—it's about identifying your core operating system.

Questions for excavation:

• What activities make you lose track of time?

• When do you feel most like yourself?

• What would you do if external rewards were impossible?

• What values do you honor even when no one's watching?

• How do you naturally serve the world?

The answers reveal your "being" blueprint—the foundation from which authentic action flows.

Transitioning from doing to being isn't a personality overhaul—it's a perspective shift:

In relationships: Stop doing things to get love; start acting from love
In work: Stop performing to get recognition; start creating from your gifts
In service: Stop helping to feel good; start helping because it's who you are
In growth: Stop improving to impress; start evolving because growth is your nature

People operating from "being" possess an unfair advantage: unlimited energy. When your actions flow from identity, they don't drain you—they renew you. The writer who writes from being doesn't suffer from writer's block; they suffer from too many ideas. The leader who leads from identity doesn't experience leadership fatigue; they experience leadership as life force.

This is why "being" creates sustainable excellence while "doing" creates sustainable exhaustion.

The most liberating realization is this: You don't have to earn the right to be who you are. You don't have to achieve certain milestones to call yourself a writer, leader, or creator. You don't have to wait for external validation to embody your authentic self.

Being is available right now, regardless of your circumstances or achievements.

"To do" makes you a hostage to outcomes you can't control. "To be" makes you free to express what you can't suppress. One leaves you always wanting more because the reward is always outside yourself. The other gives you fulfillment because everything is in perfect alignment—your actions flow from your authentic core.

The choice is simple but not easy: Continue performing for applause that will never be enough, or start expressing the essence that is already complete.

When you shift from doing to being, you don't just change what you do—you change why you do it. And that makes all the difference between a life of striving and a life of arriving.

You are already who you're trying to become. The only question is whether you'll have the courage to embody it.

Two Quotes

1. “Pain will leave once it is done teaching you” - Bruce Lee

2. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”- Steve Jobs

Three Posts

To Building Fortitude.

 Best Regards,

Colin Jonov, Founder & CEO Athletic Fortitude